/ Rock shoe stretch (RC Spirit and 5.10 Spire)

I'm not one to blame my shoes or gear, but I have a pair of Red Chili Spirits that have stretched a lot (half a size or maybe more). I can get a finger in behind the heel, that's how much room there is in them now. The toe is bunching, I can't use pockets very well (just starting to tackle E1/E2 5b/5c grades a bit more and am doing ok with my technique but struggling with small pockets). I'm beginning to think they may have had their day on anything other than V Diffs...

I do have a pair of 5.10 spires that I purchased for a good price but then decided that they were too small so put them up for sale. However, I've been thinking about it some more and reading a few reviews and wondering if I should give them a go. Some reviews reckon they stretch half a size (same as my RC's have). I've heard of folk wetting then and wearing them to get them to stretch. They are tight, really tight in the toe but maybe bearable if they'll stretch lengthways a touch. Should I wet them and stretch them or sell them and get some new RC Spirits?

Any thoughts on the 5.10 Spire appreciated also. It seems a lot stiffer shoe than the RC Spirit.

I own a pair of 5 10 spires for nearly a year and yes they do stretch a lot at least half a size. They are super comfy now they stretched which didn't take that long 5 or 6 visits to the wall and a bit of messing about with the laces.

Unfortunately the stiffness doesn't last and I don't find them to be very precise (quite squareish at the toe) but at the grades I climb and as an all day easy climb shoes I find them hard to beat.

Just to contradict what I've just said a friend of mine got a pair at a good price and climbs the grades you mention with the spires no bother at all.

I doubt your going to get much for them as God they are ugly so I would persevere with them.

I would like something a bit more precise I think, but saying that I don't really know. My Spirit's were doing just nicely until recently. Can't decide if that's a result of the stretch or of my choice of routes now.

Guess for the price the Spires would make a good spare/easy trad shoe if I do keep them and don't find them precise enough. I think they'll stretch to fit by the sound of it.

Use your Spires. I've had 3 pairs and they s-t-r-e-t-c-h like nobody's business. I've had to give mine away / sell 'em cheap in the end as they just become too big. I'm an 8.5 and buy Spires in size 8 and they're very tight but not for long. For a year or so at average say 2 days a week on VS to E1 climbs from outcrops to sub-Alpine they're Heaven to wear. Then I pass them on to somebody with size 9 feet. Oh, and the stiffness soon wears off.